Jill Kastner graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1986 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and immediately entered the world of children’s book illustration.

Kastner has illustrated over twenty books for children, from pioneers, bears and natural history themes to acrobatic pigs and dinosaurs in a toy box.. She thrives on the diversity of her subject matter, which in turn enables her to work in a variety of styles and media.

Kastner’s artwork for Aurora Means Dawn has been praised as “...integrating perfectly with the words, transforming history into real life,” in a starred review by Booklist. Publisher’s Weekly has said the “strikingly textured mood-expressive oils...make the book soar.” Kirkus called her author/illustrated Snake Hunt “a deftly comic tale”. School Library Journal hailed it as “a good read-aloud choice”.

Her books have been recognized in “Children’s Books of the Year” lists by Bank Street College and Smithsonian Magazine, and have been selected for the American Bookseller Association “Pick of the Lists” and “Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies”. Kastner’s artwork has been exhibited in several galleries and children’s book shows across the country. She also lectures on the subject of creating children’s books.

Princess Dinosaur and the current sequel Merry Christmas Princess Dinosaur both written and illustrated by Kastner (published by Greenwillow Books) are rollicking tales of a toy dinosaur who is both funny and courageous. Currently Jill is working on a picture book that is the perfect vehicle to express her new free style form using a mix of computer generated imagery and mixed media applied in rich layers of color.

Jill lives in Weehawken, NJ with her husband, Tim, and daughter, Carson.